The Labor enquirer., 1887-10-29
[lI&I|E.
loo11nn o1n 611 po06I]

sss9S ~ JDUS6 uUO = sVvS " ~
efty equally deter us from lament
ing Il. But We have always been
taught to look for the remedy d
such disorder IN the redress Of the
grievances which justify them, and
in the removal Of the dissatisfac;;
tion from which they 6ow-not i9
restraints on ancient privilegs. not
in inroads on the right Of public
discussion, nor 10 violations Of the
principles Of . free government" t."
Need anyone be told that such
a government no longer exist in
the state Of Illinois1 But the
United States guarantees to every
citizen. however humble. that such
a government and no other shall
exist The state has refused to
appoint officers Of the constitu-
tional militia, and the people are
thereby deprived Of a constitu-
tional right; while a military class
is built up from whose ranks every
man is excluded who cannot be
relied on to spatter withhis rifle the
brains Of poor mans babe; and
arms supplied by the nation for
the national militia, are stolen by
the state and appropriated to its
railway and stock-yard guards.
What is police forcel The law
books cannot tell-they only say
it is an institution unknown to the
common law. In fact, it is stand
ing army, and wherever it prevails,
with its summary police courts to
aid it, the right of jury trial denied,
the presumption of Innocence and
the defense of counsel despised,
the poor Of the community live
under perpetual martiallaw! Look
in the Encyclopedia Britannica
and see that the police were first
introduced into London in 1928,
after repeated protestations of
parliamentary commissions that
such an institution was incompati-
bic with free government, and one
of the main predictions made was,
that such officers would be used
to disperse public meetings and
suppress free speech obnoxious to
those in power! But, let US hasten.
A republican form Of government
no longer exists in Illinois. You
have positive right to have it re-
stored by the strong arm of the
nation. The power exists, and
was exercised as to the southern
states. Prepare your petition to
congress, setting forth the actual
condition of things, and pray for
proper redress. Then call your
meetings to discuss that petition
and to get it signed, and you are
protected by section, 55oS of the
revised statutes of the United
States.
"lf two or more persons (as
Roche and Bonheld) conspire to
injure, oppress, threaten, or intim-
idate any citizen in the free exer-
else or enjoyment of any right or
privilege secured to him by the
constitution or laws of the United
States; or because of his having
so exercised the same; =
they shall be fined not more than
hve thousand dollars and impris-
oned not more than ten years; and
shall, moreover, be thereafter in
eligible to any Office, or place of
honor, profit or trust created by
the constitution of the United
States In the case of the United
States VS.. Cruikshank, the supreme
court declared that a meeting to
petition the national government
Tor redress of grievances was
within the protection of this sec
tion, the laws for removal of cases
to the federal courts, the national
hadeas corpus law and other pro-
visions, make it utterly impossible
that any state court of Illinois
could punish anyone under any
law for anything said or done in
connection with such a meeting;
and every policeman interfering
would be guilty of a serious crime